Harare — PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has called on the West to remove the illegal economic sanctions in recognition of the national reconstruction process.
In his inaugural address to the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe yesterday, the Prime Minister finally added his voice to the growing anti-sanctions lobby led by Sadc, the African Union, Comesa, the Non-Aligned Movement and progressives the world over.
President Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara have consistently condemned the embargo.
PM Tsvangirai said progress had been made in improving political polarisation and the West should, as a result, lift the "restrictive measures", an apparent reference to the sanctions.
"I therefore urge the international community to recognise our efforts, and to note the progress that we make in this regard, and to match our progress by moving towards the removal of restrictive measures," he said to applause from parliamentarians.
Some Members of Parliament had already begun denouncing sanctions a few minutes into the Prime Minister's address.
Although some sections of the Western world began to soften their stance in the wake of the formation of the inclusive Government last month, Zimbabwe remains encumbered by the illegal sanctions that led to the cutting of lines of credit from multilateral lending institutions.
The Prime Minister said while Government was grateful to the donor community for humanitarian assistance, there was need to strengthen the relationship on the basis of respect for Zimbabwe's sovereignty.
"What we need is to fully reestablish relationships with the international donor community, which will be respectful of our sovereignty, not a relationship essentially based on humanitarian assistance," he said.
PM Tsvangirai, who was sworn into Parliament on Tuesday, echoed President Mugabe's statement over the past weekend that there would be no going back on land redistribution, stressing that the inclusive Government would institute measures to return the country to its breadbasket status in the region.
Efforts would also be directed, PM Tsvangirai said, at securing international support and finance for land reform with respect to compensation for former landowners and support for new farmers.
Mr Tsvangirai said President Mugabe, Professor Mutambara and himself had pledged to work together in implementing a comprehensive economic programme to resuscitate the economy.
Top on the list would be the need to increase production capacity, improve food security, ameliorate poverty, create jobs and deal with the high inflation, as well as take action on interest rates and the exchange rate.
Government would soon establish a National Economic Council comprising representatives from all economic sectors and civic society.
He also commended the multi-currency trading system enunciated in the fiscal and monetary policies saying this had removed major distortions that had become prevalent in the economy.
He challenged parliamentarians to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement, while ensuring that they would not fail their respective constituencies.
"Mr Speaker Sir, we also have an opportunity to distinguish ourselves as leaders, not just through the policies we develop and legislation we pass, but also through the ways in which we conduct ourselves as the elected representatives of the people," he said.
He stressed the need for national healing, which he said was a process that required support by all Zimbabweans and that the political polarisation prior to the implementation of the September 15, 2008, agreement had had far-reaching effects on the nation.
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Tsvangirai must be careful not to give the impression he is following Mugabe's orders on the issue of foreign assistance.
Today, Obama renewed sanctions against 200 Mugabe cronies for another year. It should be seen as a slap on Mugabe's face for all his actions directed towards undermining the MDCs in the GNU.
What Zimbabwe needs now is relief assistance on a grand scale, but one that institutions outside the government can implement.
Tsvangirai should warn Mugabe that unless the latter allows government institutions to operate democratically, no significant aid to the GNU would be forthcoming!
How on earth the world would respect Zimbabwe's Supreme Court that yesterday only it threw away the SADC court judgement concerning some farms. The judges of the Supreme Court were afraid to go against Mugabe's prior announced decision to denounce the SADC institution.
When Mugabe decides to defy international institutions, time is fast approaching for him also to be dragged to the ICC.
That is coming for sure. Tsvangirai must be careful to persue policies that respect rule of law!
It is a sad moment for the MDCs in the GNU. But is that not what criminal Mugabe planned?
Tsvangirai didnt call for the removal of "illegal economoic sanctions" as the Herald spins, but more the removal of "restrictive measures".
I 100% believe that when Tsvangirai talks of restrictive measures, he is not talking about sanctions against Mugabes band of theives. And as prem points out, Obama has kept these in place for another year.
The restricitive measures are more relating to international help that has not been forthcoming due to the butcher still being in power.
Unfortunately for the people of Zimbabwe, with the butcher still in power, I cant see anyone coming forward with help.
awt-independent well definitely not lifting sanctions against Mugabe and his thugs but also understand from a Western standpoint there has been very little progress if any seen in this so called unity government b/ c as long as Mugabe and his thugs are in charge we know what happens many times when aid money comes in it is placed into the pockets of the corrupt and the people it was intended for never see a penny of that money. Trust me do not take it as the West does not care attitude about the people of Zimbabwe but how long has money been coming into Zimbabwe and Africa???? Has it helped the problems a for sure not problems have just gotten worse and well the corrupt government agencies and the corrupt political leadership of the countries have gotten richer from this...
I know there are some help already coming in as far as food and medical b/c of my colleagues are the one doing this. But what is the SADC and AU giving??? Not that much it is expected that the West give most of the assistance.. I am wondering why Mugabe does not ask his buddies in China, Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, and other like minded countries to help out why is their names never mentioned? other than bringing in weapons....
Again I know from experience with corrupt governments in Southern Africa we need to look at different ways of helping people and ways we can do it without having the governments name attached to it or have any of their dirty hands on the money or access to it!
I hope you understand where I am coming from and if you live here you know the truth in how things work here! It hurts me badly to travel around Southern Africa and see much of the people with nothing but anyone connected with the government having nice cars, cloth, House and etc.... They cheat rob the people they are suppose to be serving!!!
Awt,
It is great to note that PM Tsvangi has opened his eyes and seen the light at long last. Calling for the lifting of sanctions is the last thing that I thought Tsvangi would ever do considering that he is the one who called for their imposition in the first place. This paradigm shift, coming as it does, so soon after the establishment of the GNU, is commendable and the PM should be applauded by all Zimbabweans.
Never mind what foreigners like Awt and Prem say, they are happy to see us suffering under sanctions until we succumb to their colonial whims. Remember Awt is a colonizer while Prem is a former mercenary on the side of the Rhodesian forces. Awt is directly responsible for the extermination of the Maori people of what is now New Zealand. The reduction, by massacre and genocide, of the Maori people to become a minority in their own country of birth is a process that started some 200 years ago and Awt inherited it from his forefathers.
What should one expect from such people; destruction and more destruction of other people's lives? Just ignore them. Note how they attempt to distortingly define the phrase "restrictive measures"? Their aim is to see us always at each other's throat and dying from the cholera, Aids and anthrax they created and spread in our country.
They want sanctions to remain in place for the maximum suffering of the people of Zimbabwe. They are like a snake that kills what it does not eat. They are cruel and barbaric. They are uncouth.
Fortunately for us but unfortunately for them, Tsvangi is now one of us. It is no longer like last time (before the signing of the deal) when he was selling out and they could tell him what to do and what to say swinging with him like a baby. He is now confidently and courageously calling on former colonizers to respect our sovereign right to determine our own destine.
Tsvangi is like a person who has just been allowed to enter the kitchen, where he thought there was plenty of food only to discover that the Chef was telling him the truth that there was no food in the pots. He is now enlightened by the few days that he has been PM of Zimbabwe.
WELL DONE PM, YOU ARE PROVING TO BE A FAST LEARNER, KEEP IT UP AND SHAME OUR DETRACTORS!!!
Takunya,
You should know that I dont even bother to take any notice of your posts. And neither should anyone else. You have proved that all you do is post lies and propoganda. Some examples:
1) The CIA invented homosexuality and syphilis and exported them to Africa 2) The CIA is injected aid bound for Africa with HIV 3) The MDC supporters all killed each other to make it look like the ZANU PF last elction. 4) Mugabe is the most democratic leader in Africa.
Now lets see what other laughable quotes I can see from your thread....
1) "Calling for the lifting of sanctions is the last thing that I thought Tsvangi would ever do considering that he is the one who called for their imposition in the first place." - This never happened and you konw it. You continually post this with no evidence, and considering your other lies, this is clearly a lie too.
2) "Awt and Prem .... are happy to see us suffering under sanctions until we succumb to their colonial whims" - not at all... if there was no suffering, we wouldnt have a reason to be here, and trust me, that would be a good thing.
3) "Remember Awt is a colonizer" - Another made up lie based on no evidence whatsoever
4) "Prem is a former mercenary" -Another made up lie based on no evidence whatsoever
5) "Awt is directly responsible for the extermination of the Maori people" - the maori where never 'exterminated' as I can vouch that I am one of them. So how can I be responsible for something that never happened?
6) "The reduction, by massacre and genocide, of the Maori people to become a minority"
- This also never happened. More lies.
7) "Their aim is to see us always at each other's throat and dying from the cholera, Aids and anthrax they created and spread in our country."
- Again more lies, do you really think that Prem and I invented Cholera, Antrax and Aids and spread it to Africa? Dear oh dear. We've done alot with our lives havent we!
8) "They want sanctions to remain in place for the maximum suffering of the people of Zimbabwe."
- Again more lies
So clearly not an ounce in your post that was even worth reading. And I have clearly just showed that all you do is post lies and propoganda that is easily seen by even a monkey as lies.
Its laughable, and even sad how deluded you are. Do you think people actually believe this nonsense?
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